


The Fate of Mercy

by TheJadedFeather



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Civil War Fix-It, Multi, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Steve Rogers Needs a Fucking Wake-up Call, Tags May Change, Tony Stark Has A "Star" For A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-25
Updated: 2016-11-25
Packaged: 2018-08-28 08:16:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8438185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheJadedFeather/pseuds/TheJadedFeather
Summary: So Tony Stark’s life, many could aptly say, was pretty shitty. His girlfriend just left him (although for very justifiable reasons), he maaaaaaaay have awfully strong feelings for a certain flag colored man that wants nothing to do with him, and oh yeah; he was the “bad guy” again. However, it turns out that ice cold bunkers in the middle of nowhere don’t tend to be very encouraging for the merciful spirit and for a good hot minute, Tony didn’t give a damn whether he was a “bad guy” or not. Still, it seems that Fate continues to not care about that, in any way, shape, or form; including what reality he’s currently in! Yay!





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RayShippouUchiha](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RayShippouUchiha/gifts).



> Okay, so thanks to a horrible, awful, no good friend (:333333), I'm extrapolating on a random thought that I had mulled over after lore-binging a shit ton of stuff from The Lord of the Rings. Let's hope you have as much fun reading this as I do writing it!

            Rage is a bit of a weird emotion, mainly due to its simplicity. In comparison to the others, once fully felt, it may feel like the strongest out of them all and the most driving, the most all-consuming. Yet, even now, other emotions were mixing within Tony as well as he saw the footage of his parents’ murder. Scars he once thought healed burst open, releasing emotions such as grief, confusion, surprise, horror, and of course, all-consuming rage.

            The footage ended as The Winter Soldier shot the camera, and while he didn’t look, he knew Zemo was smirking behind the viewport. He didn’t care. He motioned toward Barnes, with the clearest image of what he was going to do in his mind. A strong hand grasped his forearm. _Steve,_ he realized, and he froze.

            His jaw tightened, and he looked back towards Steve before mournfully looking down, a million thoughts racing through his mind, vying for control. _Did he know? - No! - He couldn’t have possibly known... - He knew. - No!_

            A pause. He looked up, staring straight into Steve’s azure eyes. _There really was a touch of green_ , came an offhand thought, before it was shoved away.

            “Did you know?”

            “I didn’t know it was him…” came a weak response.

            The rage spiked. “Don't give me that bullshit, Rogers! Did. You. **Know**?”A final pause came. It felt long; before it was cut down with a single word.

            “Yes.”

            Tony flinched away, as if St- _Rogers_ had physically slapped him, yet still, he stared at him. The rage had curled and twisted and boiled within him, melding with the new yet ever **familiar** feelings of hurt and betrayal. He then looked down again, his lips tugging into a small, admitting smile. _You never learn, do you,_ ** _boy_ **_?_ came a cold thought, eerily sounding like Howard. It’s not like that mattered now, though. Howard’s murderer, and Maria, his **mother’s** murderer merely stood there… and Tony just didn’t, **couldn’t** , give a damn anymore.

            The helmet encapsulated his head as he back fisted Rogers across the room, before turning to Barnes. Barnes lifted his rifle, preparing to fire when suddenly, a host of errors flashed on the HUD, F.R.I.D.A.Y. blaring warnings in his ear. The bunker had turned pitch black and floor seemed to disappear. Tony’s heart leapt to his throat as he realized he was falling, and then his throat felt like it was closing in on itself. He couldn’t breathe! The suit’s integrity hadn’t been broken, however, and major warnings of blood pressure, lack of oxygen and other complications that all basically screamed at him “Get your shit together Stark!” but right now... all he could think of now was: _This is how I’m going to die._

            And he closed his eyes, as he felt that it was fitting.

 

* * *

 

            Tony groaned, then split open his eyes in shock. He was still falling.

**He was still falling.**

            The HUD appeared dead, and F.R.I.D.A.Y. wasn’t responding, but after a few adjustments the reboot system thankfully worked and Tony fired the now live repulsors, hovering in what he realized was the sky. _What the fuck…? I fell_ **_down_** _. How did falling down in an underground bunker have me end up in the sky?_

            “Give me the details, Fri, where are we?”

            “High in the sky, boss.”

            “Ya, I got that. Let’s cut the sass for now, please. Where are we?”

            “Not on Earth…” _Was that trepidation in her voice?_ thought Tony

            “What? What do you mean ‘Not on Earth’? Where else could we be?”

            “Boss, I detect no satellites orbitin’… this planet?”

            “Fuck, we’re on another planet?!” _Just when my luck couldn’t get any better!_ Tony incredulously felt. _And why did she frame that like a question?_

            “It would appear so, boss.” It was a quiet for a moment, before F.R.I.D.A.Y. yelled out “Incomin’, sir!”

            Two figures shot past him, going at who knows how many miles per hour (actually the HUD did display it). Tony flew after them, the HUD zooming in. It was… _Rogers and Barnes,_ Tony inwardly cringed.

            While still in pursuit, he slowed down. The HUD displayed their vitals; they were unconscious. _It would be so easy…_ Tony considered. **_To let them fall_** , spoke out an inner voice, its tone cold and cruel; eager for revenge.

            “Boss, five unidentified aircraft headin’ your way!” cried F.R.I.D.A.Y., with the HUD backing up her assessment. He turned towards where it displayed their positions and he gasped.

            Five **enormous** eagles flew up to him quickly, with two diving past to catch Rogers and Barnes.

            The other three eagles surrounded him, preventing any attempt of flying past in escape. One of them, who had a **man** riding atop, hovered closer, and the man spoke, “Who are you, stranger? Or rather, what are you? Are you man, or metal?”

            Tony would have rolled his eyes at that comment if he wasn’t so shocked. He was surrounded by giant, literally **giant** eagles. They were easily fighter-plane sized! He retracted the helmet into the suit, while also double checking to make sure the air thick enough to breathe, and responded, “Um, you think you’re the only one shocked today? You? The guy riding the fucking giant eagle?”

            The eagle screeched indignantly as the man atop glared at him, and Tony hovered a bit away. “Always great at makin’ new friends, boss,” F.R.I.D.A.Y. whispered in his ear, the comm piece still attached.

            “Definitely man,” the eagle-guy said with disdain. “No other creature would be so vulgar, with exception to orcs.”

            “Hey, I’ll have you know that I have a sterling reputation in comparison to orcs! Besides, they like never bathe,” Tony babbled.

            The eagle-man snorted and nodded along. “You are certainly not wrong, metal-man.”

            “You’re one to talk, eagle-man.”

            The eagle-man glared at him

            “I am not a man. I am a Maia, and Herald of Manwë, King of the Ainur! I am Eönwë!” the… _maia_ declared pridefully.

            Tony’s eyes widened, his mind suddenly snapping in realization. _Giant eagles, maiar… No, wait… That’s...  that’s impossible!_

            “That… That can’t…” Tony stumbled, now at a loss for words.

            “Be?” answered Eönwë, now confused too. “I was unaware men had become proficient enough to enchant armor for flight, but surely you at least know of the Valar?”

            Tony was silent, even as his mind was going at the speed of light in all different kinds of directions, simultaneously thinking of Einstein-Rosen bridges and trans-dimensional travel, before returning back to the situation and blurting out, “I’m not from Arda.”

            Eönwë scoffed. “And the sun and moon aren’t driven by Arien and Tilion. That is not possible, mortal.”

            “I’m serious, um... Eönwë. I, and the two… _men_ those eagles caught are not from Arda. We’re not **from** here,” Tony insisted, his voice a bit shaky. It wasn’t just that Tony was now far from home… he was nowhere near its existence.

            Eönwë’s brows furrowed, now concerned, and looked to the two other men the eagles have caught. They appeared limp in their claws, and while they did not seem dead, they may have appeared to be injured.

            “Very well, I will consider your words. But the last who shall judge them will be my Lord, Manwë. Follow me - we head for Máhanaxar.”

            “Great, that’s good, great, let’s go to Maha-wherever,” Tony babbled again, the helmet re-encapsulating his head as he followed Eönwë and the eagle while cursing at himself internally. _Welcome to fucking Valinor, Tony Stark._

 

* * *

 

            They eventually arrived at Máhanaxar, which Eönwë happily translated as **The** **Ring of Doom** (how reassuring), but not before he also decided to play “proud native tour guide” for a hot minute and made them circle Valimar, the capital of Valinor, for what felt like a touch too long. He had justified it by saying it will take time for the Valar to convene at Máhanaxar, as he sent one of the eagles to Ilmarin, the home of Manwë and Varda when they flew around to grant the time needed for the message that a council must be held.

            To be honest, Tony was impressed. The city was much larger than Tony had expected for a pre-industrial society (not that it mattered much when magic was involved, ugh), with luscious pastures surrounding its outer walls. Inside, the buildings were simply beautiful, with Roman and Greek-like architecture abound. Many of the buildings had silver domes, and the roads were actually paved with gold, so Tony had to admit, the Valar and Maiar at least had some style. Audacious? Yes. But awe-inspiring? Absolutely.

            Thankfully, though, the joy ride was over as they landed before Máhanaxar. Tony was simply itching to get something done, as he felt the shadow of Rogers and Barnes’ (unconscious) presence weighing down on the otherwise intrigued and curious atmosphere of landing in a new world. A **very** new world.

            Máhanaxar was… different, in comparison to the grandeur of Valimar, as they entered the ring with two eagles dragging Rogers and Barnes inside behind him before leaving, and Eönwë staying behind. It consisted of a simple Renaissance-like dome supported by their own version of Corinthian columns, with each pair personalized to a throne that they framed. Each throne faced the inside of the circle, and everything was open to the outside air, but there was a… hearth in the middle? It was nothing like Tony had ever seen before. For one thing, there was no fire, instead there being a basin filled with water, but what made it interesting was the light that emanated from it; like little stars that floated in, out and around the water.

            “Admiring the hearth?” a woman’s voice called out, and Tony turned around; he couldn’t speak a word.

            A large woman stood by one of the more elegant thrones, her hand gently placed upon one of its arms. Her face was… almost indescribable. It glowed with an almost holy beauty, her skin smooth and pale. A halo of light stood stark behind her head, as waist length hair, dark as the night, glittered with innumerable gems as it framed her face. Her gown imitated her hair, as it was long, flowy and illuminated with jewels of its own that stood bright against the ebony colored fabric.

            Tony tried to say something, hell anything, but nothing would come out. He was enraptured, yet the woman simply smiled in return, and added, “I see you are at a loss for words. Funny, for in a way I am as well…” She stared markedly at the arc reactor, making Tony almost anxious to cover it. It was still a part of his body, and as beautiful as this lady was, he trusted no one, save for Pepper and Rhodey, with it.

            “Varda, the council hasn’t even begun and yet still you desire to tease the mortals,” spoke out an amused voice, and they turned to face its direction. An equally large person stood there, with an entertained, handsome face, and Eönwë dutifully standing beside him. He had long silver hair held back with a delicate crown akin to the beautiful woman’s and a silver halo vertically stark behind his head, and was dressed in an intricate outfit of metal, inscribed designs and smooth fabric. Tall, elvish ears were clearly visible, and the man - elf - **Vala** (as Tony had put two and two together the second he mention the name Varda) held himself with a strong air of nobility and honor. _Manwё..._  Tony’s mind answered, while Varda responded in a language he did not understand. At first, he thought it was some sort of elvish, but it sounded too clipped and rushed, not like the flowing words that he remembered from the movies. _Oh, Valarin!_ _The language of the Ainur_ , Tony recalled. Frankly, it had been **forever** since he had read _The Silmarillion_ after Rhodey recommended it to him (the nerd), only sometimes reading it when his bouts of nightmare and insomnia made sleep too much to handle. He then started trying to remember what the other Valars’ names words were, but nothing would come to mind, annoyingly.

            More Valar entered the ring, their halos glowing brightly as if in signal of their arrival. A spirited couple first entered the ring, with the lady of the two dark-haired, and quick of step and grace. The male looked creepily similar to Thor, with long golden hair and bulging muscles. He gave off the aura of “Fight me and I’ll kick your ass while laughing mine off.” Then a more grave couple entered, both heavily robed and grim. Another Vala had appeared, who looked to be an old man and was strangely soaking wet. Two more couples entered, one who’s male tastefully wore fur and had a crown of interlocked antlers, and whose female who was wreathed in flowers, almost as beautiful as Varda. The other couple was a lady similar to the one with many flowers, but seemed even more nature loving, with green the dominant color of her magnificent gown. The lord beside her sported a big bushy beard, and soot stains covered his body, which tugged Tony’s lips into a small smile when he looked at Tony, or rather his _suit_ , with knowledge-hungry eyes. _Seems even the gods here get a bit curious…_

            Finally, the last couple and a female Vala entered. The couple seemed more ethereal and relaxed in compared to the others, dressed in silver and gray, with the male of the two sporting a crown with a gently glowing gem at the center and the female with a kind face and warm, golden hair. The other female, however, almost unsettled Tony. She was dressed the most plainly in comparison to the others, with a dark gray gown and hood, and her hair was a shiny steel gray, but the part that creeped Tony out the most was that she was profusely crying. Tears were just pouring down her face, and it looked like they were gonna stop anytime soon. _Thaaaaat’s not creepy. Nope. Not creepy in the slightest. Although is it me, or does she look like Daenerys_ _Targaryen_ Tony inwardly sighed. _Stop it, focus! Besides, it’s not like gods are totally a new thing. Thor would’ve had a field day here..._

            The Valar then sat upon their thrones, all except for the Vala with the kind face and golden hair. She went towards Barnes and Rogers, examining and touching their faces, and bearing a look of horror when she focused on Barnes (not that Tony cared). She then spoke, or rather **sang**  something and suddenly the two were wide awake. The Vala backed quickly away to her throne, as Barnes immediately went into a fighting stance, while Tony simultaneously prepped his weapons system. He didn’t have the helmet up, so he didn’t have the HUD system to have his arms lock on, but he knew he had a pretty fast draw. However, as much as every fiber wanted to take a shot, for one thing, Rogers was right there with shield in hand, so that likely wouldn’t end well. For another, he doubted the Valar would just lay back and relax as Tony tried to turn Barnes into red paste on the ground. So he just stood there; and waited.

            Rogers, however, the forever lost puppy, looked around to surrounding giant and god-like strangers before spotting Tony with what looked like relief in his eyes (how dare he, the fucking untrustworthy bastard).  

            “Tony, where are we?” Tony gritted his teeth at **Rogers** using his first name. He didn’t deserve the privilege of using it anymore.

            “Well, we’re certainly not in Kansas, are we, Dorothy?” Tony spit back with a biting smile.

            “Tony, I-”

            “Newcomers!” Eönwë boomed, silencing Rogers. “We now ask that you now be silent. The Valar wish for a formal introduction and to hear of who you are and where you come from.”

            Then Manwë spoke and properly introduced each of the Valar, whom of which were seven lords and seven queens, and gesturing to where they sat in the circle; he himself, Manwë, Lord of the Ainur and ruler of the skies. Ulmo, Lord of the Waters. Aulë the Smith, and Lord of Earth and all such substances. Oromë, Lord of the Forests and Huntsman of the Ainur. Námo, spoken of as Mandos, the Doomsman and Judge of the Dead. Irmo, spoken of as Lórien, Master of Dreams and Desires. And the last Lord, Tulkas, the Wrestler and Champion of Valinor.

            He then moved onto the queens: Varda, Star-Queen, and of the Ainur as well. Yavanna, Fruit-Giver, and Queen of All Growing Things. Vairë the Weaver, tapestry maker for the histories of Arda. Vána the Ever-Young, Queen of Flowers. Nessa the Dancer, swiftest of the Ainur. Estë the Gentle, Lady of Healing and Rest. And Nienna the Weeper; Lady of Mercy. _Oh shit, that’s right. There’s a deific position of mercy here,_ Tony suddenly thought, before his attention was returned by Manwë.

            “Now please, introduce yourselves.” A silence held in the air, as Rogers looked to him in nervous expectation. _Of course you leave it to me…_ Tony inwardly sighed.

            Putting on a dazzling smile, Tony stated, “Well, as you can tell, we’re not elves or maiar. We’re men. But here’s the catch - we’re not from Arda nor Middle-Earth. In fact, we’re not even from this very universe… what was it called again...? Right, Eä. Yeah, we’re not from Eä, and in fact, come from a completely different planet, or world if you will, which we just call Earth. Oh, and my name is, formally, Anthony Edward Stark. Let’s stick with Tony Stark, though, thank you.” He then vaguely gestures to Rogers and Barnes. “Those two can go introduce themselves.”

            Manwë frowned, as the rest Valar displayed shock from Tony’s words of being travelers from not just another world, but another reality. “Are you not brothers in arms? You arrived together.”

            Tony response was delightfully sharp, edged with a wicked smile. “Frankly, I would be delighted should they drop dead at this very moment.” The Valar’s faces then grew severe and worried.

            “Tony, listen-” Rogers began, but Tony wouldn’t have it. The rage had begun to boil in his blood again, and the second Rogers opened his mouth and spoke his name did it spike again; harshly.

            “Shut the fuck up, Rogers! You don’t get to speak to me after what we, what **I** saw. And don’t you dare call me Tony again! You lost that privilege the second you thought it was a good idea to not tell me,” seethed Tony as he pointed at himself, before then pointing to Barnes, “that your **best friend** murdered my mother!”

            The circle then erupted into dismay and chaos, as the Valar displayed outrage and concern, some calling out for justice, some unbelieving of Tony’s words and others simply saddened; Nienna exhibiting the most of the latter, as her brows twisted in pity, and her tears flowing strong and clear.

            “That is enough!” Manwë nearly bellowed, before looking to Tony, with a tense expression on his face. “I believe I speak for everyone here when I say we’d like to hear an explanation. We’ll start with your account first, and then move on to…” He looked to Rogers with a questioning face.

            “Steven Grant Rogers, but Steve is fine. And this is my friend, James Buchanan Barnes, also known as Bucky. Please, there is more to this story than you know.” His eyes were pleading, which merely stoked the fires of rage within Tony even more, his wrath wishing to burst forth and end Barnes right then and there, but Manwë interrupted them.

            “We shall hear from Tony first.” He looked to Tony. “Please.”

            And so Tony told them, giving general background to who he was, as Iron Man, who were the Avengers were and the major events that they’ve had to deal with for the past couple of years, even including Ultron; acknowledging that it was his fault, as the beaten part of Tony would never deny it… _My fault, my fault, my fault…_ it whispered. He then went into the beginnings of the Sokovia Accords, detailing its aim for the Avengers and the UN to work together in light of the chaos that is always left behind when the Avengers deter world annihilation… and how it split the Avengers in two. Then he went into how Barnes went into the picture, and how it muddied the waters. _With blood,_ he darkly thought, but that was neither here nor there. He then finished with saying that a lot of the confusion that had occurred was thanks to a man named Helmut Zemo, who had led them on a wild goose chase to only show Tony what Rogers had _declined_ to say for nearly two years. He had spoken his side and left it to waft in the air as the Valar seemed ponderous in consideration of this new information.

            Manwë then looked to Steve with hard eyes. “Now it is your turn, _Sanda-Colindo_.” Steve’s brows furrowed in confusion, and Manwë clarified, “Shield-Bearer.” Steve nodded in understanding, before going onto his side with a bold and self-assured demeanor. He illustrated his side as defending the rights of enhanced humans, and that the Accords had the potential for abuse in the future. He then explained that Bucky had been held captive by HYDRA ever since he fell in the war, which Steve briefly elaborated on as well. That Bucky had been brainwashed and tortured into the Winter Soldier: **a weapon made to kill.** A weapon with no autonomy or choice.

            Yet _murderer, murderer, murderer,_ still rang in Tony’s mind, no matter what Rogers said; the video played as if on re-run in his head as he spoke the words.

            The Valar, however, appeared severely unsettled, most particularly after Rogers described what had happened to Bucky. “Like the workings of Melkor…” murmured one of the Valar; Aulë, as he thoughtfully stroked his beard.

            Mandos, however, arose, a firm expression displayed under the heavy cowl of his dark hood. “I believe this mortal should be held to justice for the crimes committed, as they are long and far-reaching.”

            Nienna spurned the claim with a judgemental look. “Surely you cannot be serious, brother! Or did you not see Estё’s expression as she peered at the man?” Mandos merely scowled in response.

            “Speaks the one who vouched for the mercy of Melkor himself!”

            “I stand by my judgment!”

            Manwë cut the argument before it could continue to stand. “Mandos, Nienna, this altercation will lead us nowhere!” He then looked to Estё. “What did you see, my lady?”

            Estё nearly appeared to squirm in her seat, her face contorted with discomfort from remembering what she saw. “Awful things… snow… blood… so much pain and suffering. _Nirwa sáma_ … a scarred mind is what I saw.”

            The council grew quiet, before Mandos piped, “That still does not excuse-!”

            “Wait!” suddenly spoke Nienna’s voice, before standing and looking to Tony. “ _Firya_ , it was you who said should these men die, particularly the metal-armed one, right now, you would feel nothing but delight. Is that correct?”

            Tony wasn’t sure where The Lady of Mercy was going with this, but he gave an honest response, ignoring Rogers’ grief-stricken expression at his answer. “Yes...”

            “Yet, even now, I believe that you know there is not much of a difference between letting someone die and killing them yourself, is that not so? So, Tony Stark, would you as easily strike these men down as you would let them fall? End their lives, here in The Ring of Doom?” The wind was beginning to pick up, the sky darkening outside as the world grew dim.

            “Would you be their executioner?! Their murderer, as they would not receive a fair trial?!” boomed Nienna’s voice, the circle quickly growing cold and somber.

            Tony felt empty at the Queen’s words, gutted and hollow at the sound of their blunt truth. Even as much as he wanted to kill Bucky, and perhaps make Steve suffer for what he had done, the thought of becoming an actual murderer now, a **true** murderer this time instead of the indirect one he was during the days of the “Merchant of Death,” chilled his bones into blackened ice with horror.

            “Many that live deserve death. And some that have died deserved life. Can you give it to them? Can you give it to them, Anthony Edward Stark?!” she cried out to him.

            His eyes widening in shock at hearing those words again, with their meaning now as clear as his tired reflection in a mirror pane. He could only muster enough will to simply shake his head in refusal. “No… no, I can’t.” The shade then receded, the shrill wind dying out, and the sun’s life-giving rays returning to the grass outside.

            Nienna appeared exhausted, breathing harder than before, but she ended her lecture with a final statement as she sat back down upon her plain throne. “Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment, _Tincomo_.”

            “For even the very wise cannot see all ends…” Tony added, the sentence flowing from his lips like water from a mountain spring. The entire council then turned to stare at Tony, with Nienna the one in most disbelief.

            “How did you…?”

            “That wasn’t the first time I’ve heard those words. It was your apprentice, Gandalf, who originally said them, not you. In the mines of Moria, to Frodo Baggins at end of the Third Age… during the War of the Ring.” Tony declared with finality, with no intentions of hiding what he knew, **that** he knew of Middle-Earth and so on.

            Ulmo then looked to Tony with great suspicion, “Who be you, mortal? How do you know of our histories, if you claim that you are from another plane entirely?”

            “I think I might have an answer for that, Ulmo,” replied a smooth, soothing voice; Lórien. _Or dream-guy_ , _I guess..._ Tony thought offhandedly.

            “Husband?” Estё inquired with worry, placing a hand upon his forearm with care.

            “I have only spoken about this with Estё, but now I see we must all be informed. For the past couple of months, I have been receiving all manner of confusing and sometimes disturbing visions. At first, I believed they foretold a new threat that the men, and what’s left of the Eldar, upon Middle-Earth would have to face. But even I must admit that these visions appeared… different. Or to put it simply, otherworldly.”

            “What were these visions, Lórien? What did Father show you?” asked Manwë.

            “Strange things, much of which includes the visage of stars… At first, I saw six of them, gold, blue, and four more of other colors staring down upon the Battle of Pelennor Fields. A few weeks later, I saw the gold star become infected with a scarlet tainted light. It wept over a broken shield… eerily similar to the one _Sanda-Colindo_ wears. Another vision appeared soon after, one with red demon eyes upon a terrible comet, glinting as it if was made of metal. Then, I saw a severed arm upon softly driven snow, half frozen and bloody. And a broken olive branch, splintered over a quill and ink well. The gold star then reappeared, surrounded by darkness, before shattering, exploding into millions of pieces, at the spoken words of _Yes._ ” Lórien paused for a moment, as if to take a breath.

            “And my final vision, which I in fact witnessed last night, was the strangest of all. I saw three stars in that same darkness: the previous gold and blue ones and a new third red one. They encircled each other before they suddenly began to pick up speed. They traveled faster and faster, spiraling closer and closer until the vision abruptly split into two. In one, the stars collided violently, destroying each other in the process… but in the other… in the other dream, they missed each other by a hair, before returning to circle each other once again. However, this dance was different than before. They moved more gracefully, more slowly. They then began to spiral back toward one another, and I feared for the worst, expecting them to be obliterated again. But to my surprise and delight, they rather combined than destroyed each other; they combined and formed the brightest and most beautiful star I had ever seen, glowing pure white while still permeating many colors… That was my final vision.”

            The council was silent, Rogers bearing confusion and Barnes still as quiet as a corpse. All the while, Tony could only simultaneously think, _Wow. Whatever he’s taking, I’d like to have some of that please_ , and _Holy fuck, that was us! But… what the hell does that last vision mean? I get the ‘annihilating’ each other part, but the second version? With the weird dance and combining to form a bigger, better star? What the fuck…?_

            However, Varda was smirking like the cat that got the cream. “Is that so, Lórien? Visions that permeate the image of stars?”

            “Yes, my Queen. The light that the last star emanated was akin to the radiance you bestow from your visage.” Varda merely hummed in consideration, before looking to Tony and softly smiling.

            “Regardless of the circumstances that have occurred before your being here, you are still very far from home… and most likely wish to return, yes?” she spoke gently. Tony nodded affirmative, and she smiled even wider. “The presence of men in Valinor before today is unprecedented, and even more so for those who are not only beyond the Void but the very Timeless Halls where our Father resides. I suggest we grant them sustenance, rest, and healing,” she spoke as she looked to Barnes, “In both body and mind. But I agree with Mandos. Such actions must be judged before we can move forward… Like that of when Melkor knelt before us here in chains.”

            She looked to her husband, her eyes and halo glowing brightly with determination. “My love, just as it was your decision then, it is now time to decide once again. Is the mortal guilty of his crimes, and if so, what shall be his punishment?”

            Manwë’s jaw tightened, his eyes looking down as his expression was critical yet reflective. He then looked up to them, his eyes burning with the same intensity as his beloved. “We have never met any of you before, nor have heard of your exploits. Merely visions in the dark and the earnestness of your words… but I trust them. And **both** of your accounts.” Tony’s heart skipped a beat. _Does this mean…?_

            “Be that as it may, I cannot condemn this man guilty of his crimes,” he looks to Rogers and then Estë, “Not after they were performed unwillingly. I proclaim this man not guilty!” Rogers breathed a sigh of relief, Bucky still quiet and on guard, albeit a bit more relaxed. Tony, on the other hand, just smiled that self-admitting smile that broke over his face like he did when the words that managed to shatter a star were spoken, or so _dream-guy_ says. It’s not like it matters, right? Justice? Meaningless.

            Mandos meanwhile, looked like he took a bite of lemon,  before proclaiming, “Do not take this verdict lightly mortal, for it is only temporary if you wish to leave. Such a decree only applies in Valinor. If you return to your world, you will have to bear the trials the people there will wish to impose upon you, and whatever it is they shall decree.”

            Bucky, finally breaking his self-imposed muteness, uttered a single phrase.

            “I understand.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hmmm, how ever shall we reach the final vision that Lórien spoke of??? Lol, idk. (kidding, kidding XD) We'll get to it.


End file.
